On her Mind
by CatastrophicRiceBubbles
Summary: Dumbledore believes Hermione needs to learn Occlumency, and who better to teach her than brooding potions master, Severus Snape? Will she be able to hide her attraction for him when he looks into her mind?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, friends. It's been a while (years) since I last published here. This is my first Harry Potter fanfic. I've long held a sweet spot for the Hermione/ Severus pairing and Alan Rickman's passing this week inspired me to get writing. I won't say this is a tribute to him (I'm not sure how comfortable he would be with that). As an actor he brought a character to life. It would be a great injustice to let Severus Snape die with him. That character lives on in our minds, in our hearts, and in our words.**

 **RIP Alan Rickman.**

"Occlumency?"

"I feel it would be both prudent and wise, Miss Granger," Dumbledore peered over his half-moon spectacles at her, the small familiar smile in place.

"With all due respect, Headmaster, do you not think it best that Harry receive the training? He's the primary target obviously and I daresay he would be much better at it than myself. I'm much more comfortable with a wand and a cauldron. I'm not even sure how I would go about-" Hermionie became aware that Dumbledore had raised his hand, she'd been rambling.

"I am seeing to it that Potter become proficient at Occlumency also. However, being one of his two closest friends and allies, I'm afraid you are a target as much as he is." Dumbledore's tea stirred itself in front of him.

"I see, Sir." Hermione's mind was a cluttered, dangerous place. She could barely navigate it on her own, much less prevent someone else from entering it.

Dumbledore clapped his hands together with a smile and the teaspoon fell against the side of the cup. He seemed to be happy she'd agreed, as if she'd actually had a choice in the matter. "Wonderful, I will inform Professor Snape and you can organise regular lessons at your leisure."

"Snape, Sir?" Hermione tried not to let her face betray her inner panic.

"Why, yes. Snape is one of the most refined Occlumens in the wizarding world. I can think of no one better," he began sipping his tea.

"Of course, Sir." She stood awkwardly for a few seconds, unsure of whether to ask Dumbledore for anyone, literally anyone else who could teach her instead.

"That'll be all Miss Granger."

"Yes, Sir." She turned and hurried quietly from the room, ensuring the door was properly closed behind her before she let out a groan.

"Shit."

Potions seemed to crawl at an even more glacial pace than usual. She kept her head down, either in her book or in her cauldron. They were making the Elixir of Euphoria.

 _Shrivelfig, porcupine quills, now what?_ She traced her finger down the page; _stir four times anti-clockwise._

She became aware of the Potion Master's presence at her back and she tried to keep a steady hand, failing miserably. A slight shake sent the ladle clanging into the side of the cauldron and earned her a hiss in her ear.

"Not so careless, Miss Granger. This is a potion for euphoria and all I have is despair. No, no, wrong. Oh for God's sake, like this."

He placed his hand over hers and guided it around the cauldron, she was blisteringly aware of his skin on hers. She could feel the callouses on his palms that years of stirring had earned him. She could feel the heat emanating from his body and coursing over hers.

"Long, smooth strokes," he said quietly in her ear.

 _Oh, dear Gods_. She quivered internally.

"I expect more of you, Granger. I won't help you again," She felt a stab of disappointment as Snape released hold of her hand and moved forward to Neville whose potion was a vibrant shade of green, a stark contrast to the dull orange sitting in everyone else's cauldrons.

She let her eyes linger on him as he leant over the boy in front of her. Hermione stroked his features from his dark hair which hung above his broad, strong shoulders. The rest was disappointingly lost under his billowing cloak, but her mind filled in the other details.

The remainder of the lesson passed relatively uneventfully. Hermione did her best to avoid looking at the Professor as she always had to; it skewed her focus.

Snape had always held an appeal to her, even when she first stumbled into the castle as a first year. She could hardly blame herself, being surrounded by hormonal bumbling idiots who wouldn't know what to do with a woman if she was naked in their bed. As long as she had fostered an attraction for the dark, brooding potions master who carried a lifetime of knowledge on muscular shoulders, she had denied herself thinking of the pairing as a serious possibility. It wasn't, of course.

Even if she weren't his student, he had made it clear that he could barely tolerate her as a human being, let alone as a lover. She could picture him with an equally dark, lank-haired brunette with leather pants and a midriff top which showed off ample cleavage. A woman who knew who she was and what she wanted, not a bushy-haired little know-it-all.

"Now that most of you have your bottled draughts of Euphoria," Snape cast an eye over Neville who was still stirring feverishly, "you may take it when you wish. As you would expect, you will experience sudden euphoria. Do not take it somewhere it is not appropriate to sing or tweak your nose. Class dismissed, except for you, Granger."

Hermione idled at her desk, taking her time as she packed her things while the others filed out around her.

"Give up, Longbottom," Snape waved his wand at the boy who was still determinedly stirring, vanishing the odd muck which had condensed in his cauldron.

Hermione felt a pang of sympathy for Neville as he hung his head to hide his flushed cheeks. "I'll go over it with you later, if you like," she said to him as he shuffled out past her. He nodded and gave a small smile in thanks.

"Not your best work today, Granger. Although you got there in the end," he lent back in his desk chair, clasping his hands over his stomach. She willed her eyes not to wander from his face. "Are you sure you are ready for Occlumency?"

"With all dear respect, Professor, this was not my decision but Dumbledore's. If you don't feel I'm capable please tell him yourself, God knows I tried.." She trailed off under his intense gaze.

"That is incredibly reassuring, Granger," his voice dripped with sarcasm. "Once Dumbledore has decided on something it's impossible to sway him so I won't bother."

She was already feeling humiliated. He really did think she was inadequate, not something she was used to anyone thinking of her. He must have noticed her gazing at the floor because he followed up a little more softly, "I didn't say I thought you weren't capable. But Occulemcy and Legilimency require utmost control and willpower. Should your focus slip, there is little I can do to help you. Do you understand, Granger?"

She nodded, darting her tongue out to moisten her dry lips.

"Good. What do you know about Legilimency?"

"Well," Hermione began, "It's the art of navigating through the layers of a person's mind and correctly interpreting one's findings. A person who practices this is known as a Legilimens. They can be fought by one who practices Occlumency, one who shield their mind from the invasion of a Legilimens."

Snape nodded, "So, in other words, you know nothing."

Her mouth dropped open slightly, brow furrowed as she fought to contain her surprise which turned quickly into anger. "I have read-"

"Yes, you have read but you do not know," he interrupted her. "You have never felt someone move inside you so I will."

 _Why did he have to say it like that?_ Now she was flustered again. _Oh God,_ she realised what he meant. He was going to penetrate her mind. She fought back all thoughts and feelings and buried them in the depths of her brain, where she knew perfectly well he would find them if he delved deep enough.

"Are you ready, Granger?"

Steeling herself, she nodded. Suddenly she was in first year, rowing across the lake in boats guided by lanterns and Hagrid's booming voice trying to reassure the nervous horde. She was at home with her parents watching Wheel of Fortune with her mother laughing at one of her father's bad jokes. She was in the Great Hall, having this morning's breakfast again, while Harry and Ron beguiled being rained out on the Quidditch Pitch. She was in potions, Snape's hands clutching hers as they stirred together… _No!_

With every bit of mental strength, she swung her mind shut like an iron door. No, he couldn't go any further. She wouldn't let him.

He rocked back in his chair with surprise, "Well, well, what was that Granger? You say you haven't practiced Occlumens yet you kicked me out. And why did you kick me out? Are you hiding something, Granger? Cheated on a test perhaps? Or have you been complaining about me to your friends?"

She wasn't sure what to say. Her own strength had surprised her, so much so that her quick-thinking failed her. She simply shook her head, "I felt like I could remove you so I did."

He stared at her for several moments, intense gaze boring into her like he could read her soul. "We shall see, Granger. There will be very few things I don't know about you soon enough."

He stood and began tidying his desk, piling books and waved his wand absent-mindedly at the board which wiped itself clean. "Be back here again tomorrow night for your first official lesson. After dinner at 8 o'clock. Be punctual."

"Yes, sir," she mumbled, shuffling back to her desk to fetch her things, unknowingly under the keen gaze of the Potions Master.

 **If you have any feedback or suggestions please don't hesitate to throw them at me. It's good to have a bit of smut now and then.**


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione had finally finished her NEWTs and was relaxing by the Great Lake, watching the Giant Squid stretch its tentacles from one side to the other. The sound of beating wings broke her trance and she looked up, jumping when she came eye to eye with an owl descending on her. It dropped a small green envelope on her lap before swooping off again, skimming over the surface of the lake and avoiding the tentacle which reached out for it.

Hermione looked down at the unexpected message. _Miss Granger_ was written in an elegant cursive script on one side, the other bore a silver seal, embossed with an ornate 'S'. With wary fingers, she prized the envelope open and her expression of curiosity soon became one of horror.

 _Miss Granger,_

 _It has come to my attention that you have foolishly over-looked a crucial area of study which jeopardises your graduation. Please make your way to my office immediately to rectify this issue._

 _Professor Snape._

Hermione jumped to her feet, panicked with heart pounding and chest heaving. She took off for the dungeons, repeating the letter's contents in her mind.

 _What could I have missed? I timetabled everything, I was so thorough._

Her pounding feet echoed through the dungeons, as did her fist as it demanded entry to the Professor's chambers. The door swung open to her and she stepped into the presence of Snape, bathed in the warm glow of the crackling fireplace.

He looked up from the papers on his desk, meeting her eyes with that fiery intensity that had always made her stomach squirm. "Miss Granger, it seems your studies are important to you after all."

"What are you talking about?" She blurted out, a mixture of confused, frustrated and, now, aroused.

"Manners, Miss Granger. I am only trying to do what's best for you," He answered coolly.

She fought to calm her chest which was still heaving from her sprint (perhaps she should go for a run now and then) as Snape rose from his chair and walked around his desk before leaning back on it, arms folded over his chest as he held her gaze.

"Sorry, Sir," She attempted to regain her composure. "What have I missed?"

He chuckled- a deep throaty delicious sound which made Hermione quiver. "My dear Granger. You aren't a girl anymore. You're a woman. Do you feel like a woman, Granger?"

Her brow creased, "I suppose so, sir?"

"You suppose so? You don't sound so sure," He pushed off his desk and walked up to her with slow, deliberate steps. "I can't send a student out into the world who hasn't covered all areas of study. And there are areas we haven't covered yet."

He reached out his hand to graze her cheek, slowly trailing it down her porcelain skin until it reached the collar of her shirt. "This is in the way, Granger."

She woke with a start, her hand between her legs. She blinked into the dark, both frustrated that she had had the dream at all but also that she hadn't finished it. Hermione groaned as she remembered her forthcoming lessons with the Potions Master; this would be yet another thing to hide from Snape.

Any free time which befell her the following day was spent frantically researching Occlumency in hopes that she would be able to block the Professor's attempts to enter her mind. It was one thing, though, to read about flexing a muscle and a completely separate matter to actually use it. Her better judgement knew it was a skill which would come with use, but the bookworm in her was hell-bent on leeching as much knowledge from the pages of books such as _Legili-what and Occlu-who?_ and _Mind Reading for Idiots._

"Woah," she heard Ron's voice behind her. She looked back in irritation, glaring at Harry and Ron as they surveyed the book-strewn table before her.

"What?" She snapped, waving a page-holding spell before slamming _Mind your own Business._

"No, that's about right," Harry nodded. "What are you surprised about?"

Ron shook his head, "You're right, I wasn't thinking straight for a second."

They pulled up seats around her cluttered table, Harry picking up some of her reading material. "So Dumbledore spoke to you, too."

"Yes. I'm trying to be as prepared as possible," She said with a sniff, watching Ron pretend not to wipe a booger he had fished out of his nose on the sleeve of his robes.

"I don't blame you. It's not pleasant, having that smarmy git snooping around your memories," Harry lamented, flicking through pages absent-mindedly.

"Dumbledore wouldn't have him teach us if he weren't the best man for the job," Hermione said, a little too defensively.

"Oh, I'm not saying he's not good. He's a too good. One lesson I think I'm making real progress, and then the next lesson I'll find out that I was only able to shut him out because he was going easy on me. It gets harder every day," Harry sighed, dropping the book before him with a dull thud.

"You mean…" Hermione tried to collect her thoughts. "Yesterday when I shut him out…"

"Was that your first lesson?" Harry asked, peering at her from behind his smudged glasses. When she nodded, he grimaced. "Yeah, he let me do that the first lesson too. I think it's to try and build up our confidence, or something."

Seeing Hermione's defeated expression, he quickly added, "Of course, that might just be me. Your brain power makes mine seem like a flubber worm's any day. You'll probably pick it up much faster than me."

Though she appreciated Harry's attempts to make her feel better, she knew he had told her the truth. She had been foolish to think a brand new Occlumens had been able to dissuade a Legilimens expert such as Snape. Her face burned as she imagined the humiliation that was to come as Ron and Harry launched into animated conversation around her.

"Miss Granger, thank you so much for being punctual," Snape's slick voice welcomed her to the classroom, an unnervingly quiet space when not filled with its usual menagerie of students.

Hermione shut the door behind her and made her way to her usual seat at the front of the classroom, doing her best to hide her trepidation. When she sat, she did so oddly stilted, as though there were thumbtacks on her seat.

Snape glanced up at her, "Are you uncomfortable, Granger?" He sneered.

"No, Sir," She sank back, trying to relax as she squeezed her clammy hands.

"Do you think you did well yesterday?" He asked smoothly, watching her with a calculated expression as she visibly squirmed.

"I did, Sir," She answered honestly. "Until I spoke to, Harry."

The Potions Master chuckled, a sound her dream had gotten eerily correct. It had the same affect on her now.

"I'm so glad Mr Potter is divulging my teaching methods. Not that they are overly complicated, of course. If you wanted to be a body builder would you begin with a 100 kg bar?"

The comparison surprised her slightly, or maybe it was Snape's reference to bodybuilding. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't imagine Snape in bike shorts and joggers on the cross fit machine.

She did her best to hold down the corners of her mouth, "No, Sir."

He stood and walked around his desk, taking position in front of where she sat. "Something funny, Miss Granger?" He asked silkily.

"No, Sir," She repeated solemnly.

She felt his steely gaze boring into her, and then she was picturing him in the gym again, bopping away on the cross fit machine to Nicki Minaj's _Anaconda_.

Suddenly she was back in the classroom and realised with horror what had just happened.

"Always be prepared, Granger. And I must say I would never workout to Nicki Minaj. I'm more of a Black Sabbath type of man," he said casually, causing Hermione to burst into a fit of giggles.

It was Snape's turn to be surprised, he didn't think he had ever heard the young Gryffindor laugh. Always such a serious, diligent pupil which was something he relished, she had never made that sound in his classroom before. It was oddly delightful.

 _Don't be a sentimental fool,_ he berated himself.

"Miss Granger," he said softly as she regained composure, "are you ready for me to enter you?"

 **AN: Haha oh God, I'm sorry, I had to say that. Lemons will begin in the next chapter, I assure you. Thank you for your words of encouragement, your subscriptions and your favourites. I'm glad I'm not the only one with a penchant for this couple.**

 **And to inlovewithafanfic, I'm glad I could bring you over to the dark side.**

 **And thank you to those who pointed out grammar/spelling mistakes in the last chapter. I was anxious to get it up and obviously should make a habit of proofreading.**


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